Hasta La Gadget!

If the folks from Facebook and Unity have their way, you — and everyone you know — will be playing mobile 3D titles directly on the social network. The two companies have been working together since March to boost user engagement with games on Facebook, and a cross-platform SDK released today should go a long way toward reaching a broader audience. Available for download via Unity’s developer site, the new kit lets devs port their mobile games to Facebook.com and integrate social experiences — such as posting achievements to your Timeline — into core titles, regardless of whether gamers are on Android, iOS or the web. And the companies are making this process quite easy for devs; bringing titles to several platforms only requires a line of code.

A handful of games, including Cmune’s UberStirke, Madfinger’s Shadowgun: Deadzone and Nival’s King’s Bounty: Legions, have already incorporated the new SDK, and Unity is no doubt hoping that other devs will follow suit. This isn’t the first time the gaming engine has extended a helping hand to developers — it’s been known to drop licensing fees, for instance. Here’s hoping this means a wider selection of Facebook titles is just around the corner.

Filed under: Gaming, Mobile, Facebook

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Via: All Things D, CNet

Source: Facebook Developer Blog

Facebook has reportedly been toying around with the idea of launching a distribution platform for mobile games, boosting advertising revenue by also taking a cut of sales. As of today, the initiative is official: a new Mobile Games Publishing page is now live on Facebook’s developers site. The pilot program is designed for small and medium-sized gaming developers — after signing up, Facebook will help developers target consumers who might be interested in playing. Additionally, the site will provide feedback through analytics tools, enabling developers to refine their approach in response to customer interest. The program isn’t open to everyone just yet, but if you’re a small to mid-sized dev that Facebook identifies as “high-potential,” you might just have a shot at joining up. Fill in your deets at the source link below.

Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Facebook

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Facebook

The Real Racing series has been a staple of mobile gaming, at least in some circles. However, EA now sees the game as big enough to matter for the entire brand, full stop — and it’s willing to make Real Racing 3 a free-to-play release to snag as wide an audience as possible. When the Firemonkeys-built sequel reaches Android and iOS on February 28th, it will follow the stereotypical freemium model, where any purchases are solely to unlock content sooner, including repairs now that there’s a damage element. The team suggests that free-only play won’t be a grind, however, and a rare I-go-you-go multiplayer racing mode should keep many of us entertained without a cash outlay. It’s doubtful that RR3 will suddenly take on the stature of a perennial blockbuster like Madden, but the switch in business models shows EA treating mobile as more than just a sideshow.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Mobile

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Firemonkeys

Don’t think the festivities surrounding Pong’s 40th are limited to official channels. Sander Veerhof of the Netherlands is marking the occasion in his own way with an augmented reality version built as a Layar plugin. Instead of batting the ball across a TV screen, players play across whole continents: anyone who’s been online recently is fair game as a fresh target, and the camera’s field of view gives a sense of where opponents reside in real life. Games won’t be nearly as fast-paced as you might remember from that classic system from the arcade or living room. However, they’ll still be reminders that people worldwide have a soft spot for the Nolan Bushnell title that arguably started the video game industry — and global Pong sure beats a game of global thermonuclear war.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Alt

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Source: SNDRV, Layar

No, it doesn’t entirely make sense to us, either. And yet, here it is: Apple co-founder (and Segway enthusiast) Steve Wozniak is going to feature in an iOS game with action star Danny Trejo. ITN FLIX’s and React Games’ lengthily-worded Danny Trejo’s Vengeance (Woz With A Coz) will have Woz trying to rescue his wife with Trejo’s help, plowing through enemies with guns and, naturally, machetes. We’re working to find out just what prompted the use of Woz’s image for an out-of-character role — other than an attempt at drumming up press for the game’s Thanksgiving launch and a somewhat related 2013 movie, of course. There’s no telling whether the title will be as fun as its concept is outlandish, although we might be swayed if Vengeance goes full circle with Woz and includes a Breakout mini-game.

Update: We got in touch with Woz, who notes that both he and his wife Janet offered themselves on a volunteer basis for the game, including voice work. A friend who knows the producer recommended the involvement, he says. As to how well it plays? While Woz can’t say much before the game arrives, his top-level view is that it’s “entertaining and FUN.” That piques our interest, at least a bit.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Apple

Steve Wozniak to co-star with Danny Trejo in iOS action game, we hope there’s a Segway level (update: Woz fills us in) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 21:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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